http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog There's always something to howl about Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:27:43 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en ...at least not yet. On Sept 24th when the Google Blog announcement of Google Places was posted, there was no mention of Place Pages for Real Estate: "A Place Page is a webpage for every place in the world, organizing all the relevant information about it. By every place, we really mean ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10364 I love it when I'm able to read or witness geeks debating the finer points of TechnoGibberish. Seems most have never learned they're in the <1% category about which most technology consumers couldn't give less of a @#%&. :) Though I harbor genuine and deep respect for those of you ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10360 Okay, a couple of things that this chart assumes:That from 1975 to 1999 was "normal" enough to indicate a statistical trend.   I think the case could be made that it was.That we're going to eventually get back to that trend line.    I think a case could be made that we ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10351 As I mentioned here earlier this week, I've been thinking about switching to a different network.  Love the iPhone, but am completely unimpressed with AT&T's network.  So I went into a Verizon store to look at the Droid over the weekend, and then bought one after work at BestBuy on ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10355 In the spirit of my #1 Bloodhound Blog Unchained takeaway, here's a 70% ready-to-roll video.  Brian Brady was kind enough to teach me his brilliant way of leveraging Linked In to establish new relationships.  I haven't been executing the Brady Principles consistently enough.  Check out a little something-something I stumbled ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10342 Reacting to John Rowles' post, Jim Duncan has been talking about the RPR idea for years, and I read a little more about it today, having been tipped over the weekend by Tom Johnson. My take: Yawn. RPR is not the generals fighting the last war, but the war before that. ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10334 I believe many Bloodhound readers will find this weekly radio program hosted by David Lykken of value. On this weeks show, Alice Alvey, Joe Farr and Tony Gallegos provide the inside scoop and up-to-the-minute information regarding interest rates, loan programs and "hot" industry news related to the mortgage industry specifically addressing the following topics: MBS and Market ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10338 Such a simple phrase, yet apparently so difficult to execute. Agreeing with myself on what my purposes are was at the same time a task easily accomplished, and reminiscent of a root canal. Once they're established, any goal flowing from them will almost always be accomplished. The importance of having ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10291 I attended the NAR convention in San Diego over the weekend and this banner caught my eye. It just seemed oddly Orwellian to me, as if NAR were subliminally planting the idea. As it turns out, that was not far from the truth. The IDX rules have been updated to explicitly ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10326 A clip from a fascinating City Journal article on the differences in taxes and services among the states and how that affects growth:If California doesn’t want to be Texas, it must find a way to be a better California. The easy thing about being Texas is that the government has ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10321 Updates Below 11/16/09 I live in the far suburbs (bordering on rural) of Raleigh, and have had the iPhone 3G (not the latest 3GS) since April.  I mostly love it. It integrates well with gmail, where I maintain my contacts.  It has a few really nice apps that make life easier.  ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10315 In Gary Keller and Dave Jenks' game changing book "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent", the authors recommend a "33-Touch" follow-up system to stay top of mind with "mets". It was actually a brilliant idea - for Keller.  KW agents immediately began flooding the market with (expensive) calendars, post cards, and chotchkies ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10295 This is good writing, and the man takes it down in 500 words. From The Denver Post:Twitter's popularity and usefulness are a mystery to me. Pressed by personal, professional and cultural forces, I sporadically deploy short missives for fear of becoming one of those cantankerous technophobes who is too dense ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10293 The $8000 first time home buyer tax credit is a mistake.  Congress should have enacted the original idea: a $15,000 tax credit.  This goes for the repeat home buyer tax credit as well.  As a matter of fact, I would like to have seen both tax credits even higher.  If ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10287 Would you like to know what the #1 obstacle is to achieving success in the real estate profession?  If you did know, would you create a marketing campaign around it and start knocking the ball out of the park?  I love marketing campaigns.  I love creating them and prodding them ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10279 It's cash-for-clunkers time in the real estate market. Last week, in addition to extending the $8,000 first-time home-buyers tax credit for another six months, Congress added a new $6,500 tax-credit for move-up buyers. The credit can be applied for homes selling for as much as $800,000, and the income limits exclude almost ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10285 It was Christmas Eve December 24, 1967, and he stood in front of his parents house for the first time in 21 months since he had left to serve his country in Vietnam. The cool San Francisco fog was a pleasant change from the sticky Mekong Delta heat that he had ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10270 More tomorrow... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10268 Can't locate my muse but I'm working on it... G http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10263 There roughly 50 days left this year, depending on when I get this post done.  About 14% of the year left.  And, really, truly, a lot of people take it down a notch after Halloween.  Or three notches.  Because the presumption is that nobody buys in the winter. Look at the ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10260 I guess I haven't reached that point in my life yet when I'm so jaded (or is it cynical) that nothing will surprise me.  I say this after reading an interesting little article in the London TimesOnline.  They had the chance to interview Lloyd Blankfein, the Chairman and CEO of ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10254 Back in September I gave a lukewarm review of Google Voice.  Since September, it's been working much better.  Much less lag, much better transcription quality.  I use it now on my business cards, website, and so forth, and it's a great tool to help screen calls that come in. Google Voice ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10252 Ok... so I try to stay away from being too blatant about the self promotion here at BHB. But screw it. Here we go... :) Easy Reference Youtube Embed Codes and Tweaks For Your Website Using Youtube's standard embeds you end up with something like this: Notice the White "Brainstorming Domain Names" ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10249 Note: By writing this post don't get the idea I think I'm a goal expert, cuz I'm far from it. I do know however, what's worked for me and a few others time after time. I offer this merely as food for thought, and a possible insight to your own ... http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10238 I watched C-SPAN last night. Now I feel dirty. http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=10235